Metal crosstie



G. L, COLBIE METAL CROSS'IIE Feb. 27, 1934.

T.l|lllll\l|icm mm 3 NW A TTORNEY Filed March 12 1951 Patented Feb. 27, 1934 PATENT OFFICE METAL CRO S STIE Gus L. Colbie, Brooklyn N. Y., assignor to Chase Appliance Corporation, New York, N. Y., a cor- Duration of New York Application March 12,

9 Claims.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in railway cross ties and means for supporting railway rails thereon.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a railway metal cross tie embodying new and novel features which serve to mal-ze this kind of tie practical, said new and novel features will hereinafter appear and will be more specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

Heretofore metal cross ties have not come into common use because of several difficulties which have been encountered in their use; the said difficulties reside in, properly supporting the tie in the roadbed, maintaining the position of the tie laterally and longitudinally with respect to the rail, difficult tamping of material under the tie in leveling same and one prolific source of trouble has been in the fastening of the rail to the cross tie; bolts and clips have been used for this purpose but there has been a great tendency for said fastening bolts to be sheared off, which is due to a lack of resiliency in this method of fastening.

I contemplate a new and improved metal cross tie having the supporting surfaces formed and disposed to obtain a novel method of sup port, a new and improved tie having the material disposed in a manner to secure the greatest strength with the least weight, a new and improved means of fastening the rail to the cross tie to eliminate the difficulties heretofore encountered in the use of metal ties in the fastening of the rail to the cross tie, a new and improved form of cross tie to facilitate the tamping of material under the tie, and a new and improved form of tie to keep said tie in its proper position in the roadbedv The ordinary railway track is a very loosely laid structure, as the rails are simply laid on the cross ties and the spikes are not driven tight. Since it is very hard to support all cross ties uniformly and throughout the full length of each tie, as a result when a moving load is applied a wave motion follows in proportion to the lack of a firm support.

The form of cross tie herein outlined may be produced by one or the other of several methods in common use, such as drop forging, die rolling or any other suitable method. In the process of die-rolling, the varying form of cross-section and in particular, the variable thickness of web is produced by engraving or cutting the impression of one half of the part to be produced in each one of two rolls, and then taking a leader bar of greater cross sec- 1931. Serial No. 522,127

tional area than the largest cross section of the part to be produced, properly heating same and then passing same between said set of engraved rolls in substantially the same way as in ordinary rolling.

Further and more specific objects, features and advantages will more clearly appear from a consideration of the specification hereinafter taken in connection with the accompanying drawing which forms part of the specification and which illustrates a present preferred form of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a plan View of a metal cross tie embodying the present invention in one form.

Fig. 2 is a partial side elevation of a construction corresponding to Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is the same View as Fig. 2 except for a slight modification at the point of rail support.

Fig. 4 is a partial side elevation of a cross tie embodying the present invention and a cross section of a rail carried thereon and of the rail positioning and securing means;

Fig. 5 is a plan View of a form of tie shown in Fig. 3 and on the right-hand side of Fig. l; and

Fig. 6 is a cross section of a tie and a side elevation of a rail carried thereon and shows means of positioning and securing the rail.

To improve the support of the track on the roadbed I provide a tie having broadened supporting surfaces directly under the rail and extending each side thereof a substantially equal distance. Intermediate said supporting surfaces that part of the tie presented to the roadbed is substantially reduced in area to prevent an upward deflection between the rails when load is applied to same. I contemplate a cross tie structure where the supporting surfaces are substantially balanced about the point of applied load, and that part of the tie connecting the supporting surfaces functions mainly to properly space the rails and maintain their alignment. As shown on the drawing in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cross tie would be shaped substantially as shown in Figs. 1 to 6. While the cross tie here shown is provided with broadened or enlarged supporting surfaces on the lower flange of a substantially I beam shaped section, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the upper flange may have the broadened supporting surfaces, or both upper and lower flanges may be broadened in the vicinity of the rail to give increased support at this point. If desired the vertical Web of the cross tie may be increased in thickness at the point where the supporting flange or flanges are reduced. Metal ties of the prior art have been made of uniform cross section throughout their entire length.

To facilitate tamping material under the tie supporting surfaces and to maintain the ties in their proper position in the roadbed, the outside edge of said supporting surface is turned or bent upwards a suitable amount as shown at 11 in Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 6. Instead of bending or turning the said outermost edges upwards, the lower corner of the said edge may be beveled to obtain substantially the same result.

The outer ends of the broadened supporting surface are also turned, bent or beveled upwards to facilitate tamping and to present a larger abutting surface to keep the cross tie from being displaced laterally with respect to the roadbed. The turned up portions serve to maintain the position of the cross tie against the tendency of the rail to displace same when creeping or moving longitudinally. I do not limit myself to any particular form or shape of upturned edge or end but same may vary over a wide range.

To overcome the breaking and shearing of the rail fastening means heretofore encountered in the use of metal ties, I have provided new and novel means of positioning and securing the rail to the metal cross tie, certain parts of which are shown in my co-pending patent application, Serial No. 522,469, filed contemporaneously herewith and covering a cushioned and insulated rail chair. As shown on the drawing, the preferred embodiment of this part of my invention consists of cutting and forming a part of the cross tie to provide a receiver or holder for suitable rail positioning and securing elements. In Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 6 I have shown a holder comprising vertical inwardly inclined extensions 12, which in this case are formed out of the upper flange of the cross tie; said extensions 12 may, however, be constructed by welding or otherwise fixing separate pieces to the cross tie to form the holder for the rail positioning and securing means. In Figs. 3, 5 and on the right hand side of Fig. 1, separate pieces 14 are shown welded to the cross tie 16. The rail 18 is located in the rail chair formed by said extensions 12 or 14 by the rail position ing member 20 which on one of its sides conforms to the lateral face of the rail 18 and on the other side conforms to the configuration of the vertical extension 12 or 14.

To support, to adjust vertically, to electrically insulate and to cushion the rail, I provide a suitable shim 22 between the bottom of the rail and the top of the cross tie 16. To positively hold the rail 18 against the said positioning member 20 and to securely fix the rail to the cross tie, I provide a set of two oppositely disposed Wedges 24 and 26, one (24) of which has a surface conforming to the side of the rail and a suitable taper on the opposite side; the other (26) of said wedges has a taper to correspond with the mating surface of the said first wedge, and on the opposite side the surface corresponds to the inwardly inclined vertical extension 12 or 14. To make effective or apply the two above described wedges to position and secure the rail onto the cross tie, I have shown means which may be a suitable bolt 28, nut 30 and spring 32; the said spring 32 is provided to automatically take up any looseness that might result from shrinkage, wear or other causes on the several parts making up the assembly. I may in some cases omit the spring 32 and I do not limit myself to a bolt and nut for applying or making effective the wedges 24 and 26, but I may in certain cases use any other suitable means to the same end. The vertical extension 12 or 14 forms a retaining space smallest at its three open sides whereby the rail positioning and securing means are securely fixed to the cross tie.

While the invention has been described in detail and with respect to a present preferred form thereof it is not to be limited to such details forms since many changes and modifications may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest aspects. Hence it is desired to cover any and all forms and modifications of the invention which may come within the language or scope of any one or more of the appended claims.

What is claimed, is:

1. In a metal cross tie, a rolled member of substantially I beam cross section having broadened supporting surfaces under and in the vicinity of the supported rail and a reduced supporting surface between said rails and having a web of variable thickness.

2. In a 1 cross tie a roiled member of substantially 1' Jam cross section having broadened sin cinity of the supported rail and a reduced support ng surface between said rails, and having or" variable thickness, said broadened supporting surfaces a portion thereof turned or bent upwards, after said member has been rolled.

3. In a metal cross tie a rolled member of substantially I beam cross section having broadened surfaces under and in the vicinity of the supported rail and a reduced supporting surafce between said rails, and having a web of variable thickness, said supporting surface be. ,3 chamfered on its lower extreme edges after said member has been rolled.

4.121 com; nation, a tie of substantially I beam cross sect integral upturned portions of said tie forming ieans to locate and positively maintain position of rail positioning and securing means in all directions.

5. In combination, a tie of substantially I beam cross section, integral upturned portions of said tie forming side walls of a rail chair, a rail disposed between said side walls, said side walls formed to positively locate and maintain position of rail positioning and securing means in all directions.

6. In a metal cross tie a rolled member having a flange and web of varying form throughout its length.

"i. A metal cross tie having the edges of the tie flange turned up to facilitate tamping and to provide abutting means, the ends of the turned up edges also bent up in a transverse plane to facilitate tamping and prevent lateral displacement of the tie on the roadbed.

8. A metal cross tie having a broadened lateral flange under and in the vicinity of the supported rail and a web of variable thickness.

9. A metal cross tie having lower flanges broadened under and in the vicinity of the supported rail and reduced in width therebetween, and a web of variable horizontal thickness, the thickest portion of the web being between the surfaces under and in the vi- GUS L. COLBIE. 

